This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and is a large one in both size and importance with 10 games on the docket. While some teams are jostling for playoff positioning, others have already been eliminated and are giving extended opportunities to younger players. Both types of situations pave the way for certain players to provide strong value relative to price while leaving others best avoided. Read on to see who falls into which category.
GOALIE
Anton Khudobin, DAL vs. PHI ($31): With Ben Bishop expected to remain sidelined by a lower-body injury, his stand-in makes for a strong play at home against a Flyers team that looked disinterested in its first game after being officially eliminated from playoff contention, losing 3-0 to the Rangers on Sunday. Khudobin's been terrific when called upon this season, with a 2.49 GAA and .925 save percentage that would make most starters jealous in his 39 appearances. He's still available at a slight discount due to his backup role, though.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Tuukka Rask, BOS at CLS ($32): Rask has hit the skids after an extended hot streak, scoring 2.4 or fewer fantasy points in four of his last six starts. Given his recent play, Rask's floor is very low against a Blue Jackets team that's involved in a tight playoff race and battling for every point.
CENTER
Logan Couture, SJ at VAN ($24): Couture can't be blamed for the Sharks' recent shortcomings in the win/loss column, as he's produced multiple points in each of the last three games and four of the past six. Another productive outing should be forthcoming against a Canucks club with a minus-29 goal differential.
CENTER TO AVOID
Boone Jenner, CLS vs. BOS ($17): While Rask has been off his game recently, Jenner's not the man to take advantage of those struggles. Jenner's seen his role dwindle dramatically down the stretch, coming up well short of his 17:12 season ice time average in each of the past eight games. In fact, he's skated more than 15 minutes only once in this stretch, totaling a paltry three points and nine shots.
WINGS
Viktor Arvidsson, NSH at BUF ($22): Arvidsson's been a goal machine all year. With a tally in each of the past two games, he's up to 33 goals in 55 appearances -- a 49-goal, 82-game pace. He gets a golden opportunity to stretch his scoring streak against a Buffalo team that's long since packed it in for the season. Things are only getting worse for the Sabres, who have been outscored 32-12 in dropping their last seven games.
Bryan Rust, PIT at DET ($16): Rust has been moved back onto the top line, where he'll share the ice with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The impact of that role will likely be magnified further by the fact that Pittsburgh's still battling for playoff positioning, making the Penguins even more likely to run over a Red Wings team with a minus-44 goal differential.
WINGS TO AVOID
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR at TOR ($17): The bang for the buck just isn't there with Svechnikov given the alternatives on Carolina's roster. Two other $17 Hurricanes wingers -- Justin Williams (6.3) and Nino Niederreiter (5.6) -- both average more fantasy points than the Russian rookie's 5.0, and even $13 winger Micheal Ferland is chipping in 5.8 per game.
Jared McCann, PIT at DET ($17): Rust's gain is McCann's loss. No longer skating alongside Crosby, McCann has gone quiet with just 1.9 fantasy points in each of his last two games. It's hard to justify picking him over the similarly priced alternatives among the Penguins' forward ranks.
DEFENSEMEN
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI vs. LA ($17): With the Coyotes battling for their playoff lives, it's imperative that they pick up two points when a Los Angeles team that's last in the Western Conference comes to town for its second game in as many nights. Ekman-Larsson should help ensure that happens by continuing his recent offensive success -- the hard-shooting blueliner has five goals and three assists in his past 10 games. Arizona's first-unit point man has already racked up 19 power-play points for the fifth time in the past six seasons, so a Kings penalty kill that ranks third-worst in the league will have trouble slowing OEL down with the extra man.
P.K. Subban, NSH at BUF ($18): Subban seems to be getting his mojo back at just the right time with the playoffs around the corner. He has two goals and an assist in the past two games, rounding out his line with six shots, four blocks, a power-play point and a plus-1 rating. We all know Subban's more than capable of sustaining offensive success, and chances are he'll do just that with how poorly Buffalo has played of late.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON vs. TB ($24): Even with the Lightning finishing out a back-to-back and the Canadiens desperate for points, Weber will have a hard time living up to his lofty $24 valuation. He'll be tasked with defending some of the league's best players such as Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, exposing Weber to massive downside risk in the rating department against the best team in the league.
Drew Doughty, LA at ARI ($18): Few players have been as reliant on the power play as Doughty, with 24 of his 43 points -- including all seven of his goals -- coming with the extra man. Arizona's top-ranked, 85.1 percent penalty kill is likely to limit Doughty's success with the extra man, and the Coyotes could well add to his struggles in the rating category, piling onto the veteran blueliner's career-worst minus-31 mark.
